These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world.
Singapore GE2020: PAP says Chee Soon Juan should admit SDP campaign is based on false claim
The People's Action Party (PAP) on Thursday night (July 2) said the election campaign of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is pointless now that a key plank of its campaign has been proven false. The "No to 10 million population", which is part of the SDP's Four Yes, One No campaign slogan for the general election, is based on a false claim that the Government plans to raise the country's population to 10 million, the PAP noted. The ruling party said the honourable thing for SDP chief Chee Soon Juan to do would have been to admit that his party's campaign was based on a falsehood, withdraw it, and apologise to Singaporeans for misleading them. "But that would have been out of character," the PAP said. "Instead, Dr Chee further twists the facts. He now claims the SDP has 'achieved victory' by extracting a promise from the PAP that it had no intention to increase the population to 10 million," it added. – The Straits Times
Book with modified image of national coat of arms officially banned
The Home Ministry has issued a ban on the book "Rebirth: Reformasi, Resistance, and Hope in New Malaysia", effective last Wednesday. In the Federal Government Gazette dated 1 July, the order was issued under the Printing Presses and Publications (Control of Undesirable Publications) Order 2020. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin made the order pursuant to subsection 7 (1) of the Printing Presses and Publishing Acts 1984. The order stated that the prohibition covers the printing, importation, production, reproduction, publishing, sale, issue, circulation, distribution or possession of the book in Malaysia. The English-language book is banned because "it may disrupt public order, alarm public opinion, is contrary to any law and harmful to national interests and security." "Rebirth", edited by Kean Wong and published by the Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, sparked controversy when its cover was revealed to feature a modified image of the national coat-of-arms, which was deemed insulting to the national symbol. – New Straits Times
Contact sports wait for virus all clear
Attention is now focusing on when the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will allow contact sports like boxing and football to resume after night entertainment venues opened their doors in the fifth phase of lockdown easing. Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday the CCSA is looking closely at the situation, adding it hopes the next phase in loosening Covid-19 restrictions will come soon. With the country continuing to record zero new local transmission cases, all eyes are now on sporting activities which were suspended in March when the Covid-19 situation worsened. A cluster of infections during an event at a boxing stadium in Bangkok on March 6 was blamed for a surge in coronavirus cases. People in the sporting sector are hoping that contact sports like boxing and football will be allowed to resume at least behind closed doors. – Bangkok Post
Indonesia seeking its own COVID-19 vaccine amid worry about access
Indonesia is working to produce its own COVID-19 vaccine next year, amid growing anxiety that developing countries could have difficulty getting access to a future jab, the head of Indonesia’s national COVID-19 research team said Thursday. “The production capability and capacity of biotech companies in the world is, we know, limited, and global supply chains also have challenges,” Ali Ghufron Mukti, head of the innovation team at Indonesia’s research and technology ministry, told a streamed press conference alongside the country’s foreign minister. “Therefore, it is necessary for Indonesia to develop its own COVID-19 vaccine. And it will be by Indonesia, from Indonesia, to Indonesia,” he said. "We are using our theory and we are optimistic that in the year 2021 and early 2021, this will be finished in the laboratory," he said, adding state-owned firm Bio Farma could conduct trials in the second half of next year. – The Jakarta Post
Around 72,000 overseas Filipinos repatriated - Bello
Around 72,000 overseas Filipinos have been repatriated by the Philippine government, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said on Friday. As of today, based on the report given to us, we have repatriated 72,000 Filipinos. We repatriate overseas Filipinos every day. Bello, however, noted that the repatriated OFWs can still choose to return abroad once the situations normalizes in the countries where they were formerly employed. Especially in the Middle East, they like OFWs because they see Filipinos as hardworking and trustworthy. He said that more overseas Filipinos will be sent home in the coming weeks. On June 3, Bello said around 191,000 of 340 overseas Filipino workers affected by the coronavirus disease pandemic do not want to return to the Philippines as they were still hoping to find work abroad despite the pandemic. – INQUIRER.net
Việt Nam protests illegal Chinese military drill on Paracel islands
Việt Nam has issued a note to China to protest an illegal military drill conducted on islands that rightfully belong to Việt Nam. Foreign ministry spokesperson Lê Thị Thu Hằng informed the media of the action on Thursday during a press briefing held in Hà Nội. “Việt Nam has had exchanges with the Chinese side and has issued a diplomatic note protesting the move and requesting China do not repeat this action in the future,” Hằng said. The military drill is reportedly being held from July 1-5 around Việt Nam’s Hoàng Sa (Paracel Islands) in the South China Sea (known as East Sea in Việt Nam), a large part of the island chain China seized control of illegally by force from Việt Nam in the 1970s. "The drill constitutes a serious violation of Việt Nam's sovereignty, complicated the situation, impaired the ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea between ASEAN and China, and undermined the maintenance of peace, security and co-operation in the East Sea," the Vietnamese diplomat said. – Viet Nam News
Cambodian Arrest Video Draws Comparisons to Police Excesses in George Floyd Case
A police arrest video from Phnom Penh, where an officer places his knee on the suspect’s neck, has drawn sharp criticism from some Cambodians, who are comparing it to the alleged murder of George Floyd by U.S. police officers. The June 29 video shows the arrest of Vey Longreach, who police claim was an alleged drug trafficker in Phnom Penh’s Chbar Ampov district. The video, shot by a bystander, starts with one of the officers placing his knee on the back of Vey Longreach’s neck, despite having restrained the alleged drug offender’s arms. The video also shows Vey Longreach being kicked by police officers as they attempt to take him away, while also pulling his hair and aggressively pushing him around. – The Cambodia Daily